1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to squaring tools and, more specifically, to a rafter square having a pivoting guide member and related locking means that will allow the user to selectively position the square at the appropriate angle required for the cut as determined by indicia thereon that is used to calculate the angles accordingly. Furthermore, there is a hollow storage compartment for protectively storing other required charts that may be needed for complex calculations that are infrequently used.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are other squaring tools. Typical of these is U.S. Pat. No. 330,799 issued to G. B. Orendorff on Nov. 17, 1885.
Another patent was issued to D. W. Warnock on Mar. 15, 1887 as U.S. Pat. No. 359,372. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 518,103 was issued to L. M. Hodge on Apr. 10, 1894 and still yet another was issued on Nov. 10, 1903 to W. B. Mahan as U.S. Pat. No. 743,900.
Another patent was issued to E. A. Williams on Jul. 20, 1909 as U.S. Pat. No. 928,569. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 1,191,008 was issued to E. Laakkonen on Jul. 11, 1916 and still yet another was issued to R. H. Johnson on May 1, 1923 as U.S. Pat. No. 1,453,625 and I. Dion was issued U.S. Pat. No. 1,913,919 on Jun. 13, 1933. U.S. Pat. No. 2,251,208 was issued on Jul. 29, 1941 to D. L. Sigmon and on Dec. 13, 1955 L. E. Maupin was issued U.S. Pat. No. 2,726,452. K. E. Kish was issued U.S. Pat. No. 4,712,307 on Dec. 15, 1987. Ellam was issued U.S. Pat. No. 6,330,752 on Dec. 18, 2001 and on Sep. 26, 1995 Kook et al. was issued U.S. Pat. No. 5,452,522. G. S. Rester was issued U. S. Pat. No. 6,122,834 on Sep. 26, 2000.
A protractor, A, having an arm, B, and center, C, combined with a movable arm, D, at right angle and provided with the curved indicator-arm d, substantially as shown, for the purpose specified.
The combination of the body A, having slots a, c, the blade B, provided with the beveled shoulder a, the slotted bar C, provided with the pivot b, substantially as herein shown and described.
In an instrument of the class described, a scale-plate having an integral plumb-cut member, and a bottom-cut member, and having on one side graduations showing the relative dimensions of parts for common rafters of different rises and runs, and having on the other side, graduations showing the relative dimensions of octagon rafters for different rises and runs, in combination with a main frame, a blade slidable on said main frame and having a changeable connection with said scale plate, as set forth.
In an instrument of the class described, a scale plate having an integral plumb end member, and bottom-cut member, and having an integral bottom cut member, and having on one side graduations showing the relative dimensions of parts for common rafters of different rises and runs, having on the other side, graduations showing the relative dimensions of octagon rafters for different rises and runs, in combination with a main frame, a blade slidable on said main frame having changeable connection with said scale plate.
A device of the character described, comprising a longitudinally slotted handle, a square pivotally attached at its outer corner to one corner of said handle, one blade of said square having diagonal lines adjacent its inner edge and adapted to lie in said slot, and means to secure said handle and adjusted position.
A carpenter""s square comprising a blade and a tongue on the inner edge thereof, a notched plate mounted in the curved edge of the quadrant, a forked setting arm pivoted to the square and embracing the quadrant, and a pivot latch mounted on the setting arm and selectively engageable in the notches of the plate to secure the setting arm in a desired adjustment.
A tool comprising a butt, a blade pivoted to the butt, said butt having a notch in one edge thereof, curved parts at each end of the notch arranged to lie at opposite sides of one edge of the blade, when said blade is disposed at right angles to the butt.
A square comprising blade and tongue members pivoted to each other at their meeting ends, said blade member being formed with a recess into which the tongue member may be received as a whole when it is swung into a folded position, a screw carried by the blade member adapted to engage the end of the tongue remote from the pivot when the members are closed upon each other for securing them together, one of the members having an arcuate slot concentric with the pivot, a screw passing through said slot and engaging the other member of the square so as to fasten the members in any desired angular relationship with respect to each other, and said member with the arcuate slot being countersunk at one end of said slot to afford a deeper seat for engagement with the head of said screw so that the members may be positively locked when they swung to right angles with respect to each other.
The combination with a square having body and tongue members, of a radial arm having scale markings theron substantially as shown and described, a quadrant shaped arm pivotally attached to the tongue member aforesaid, and the said quadrant shaped arm having provided a straight outer edge adapted to form with the radial arm the angle of the side cut for hip, valley and jack rafters of a gable roof when the body member and radial arm aforementioned are adjusted to the angle of inclination of the said rafters, and means provided on said quadrant shaped arm for registering on the scale markings provided on the radial arm aforesaid.
A device of the class described, a quadrant plate having a level ruling edge, a plumb ruling edge and an arcuate edge, a pivot pin on said plate with the axis thereof in alignment with said level ruling edge and at the geometric center of said arcuate edge, a pivot pin on said plate with the axis thereof in alignment with said axis of the pivot pin, arcuate scales and indicia on said plate with said axis of said pivot pin as the geometric center thereof, cooperating indicia on said bar, said bar consisting of a pair of similar strips spanning and adapted to traverse the opposite sides of the quadrant plate, both ends of each of said strips projecting beyond the peripheral edge of said plate, spacing elements fixed between the adjacent projecting ends, a scale arm pivotally mounted on said quadrant plate between said pivot pin for aid bar and the plumb edge of said plate and adapted to be extended outwardly at right angles to said plumb edge.
The rafter angle device includes a body in the form of a generally U-shaped plate of metal or the like having a horizontal base and spaced first and second vertical arms at opposite ends thereof A third arm is pivotally connected to the plate at about the end of the base bearing the first arm and extends beyond the second arm. The third arm may releasably receive and is releasably securable to at least one of the first and second arms in any position between about horizontal and vertical, as by a locking nut. The first arm has a generally triangular support portion secured to the base about halfway along the length thereof and defining a spaced pair of curved slots, with angle, hip rafter valve and common jack plumb cut indicia disposed along the perimeter of the slots thereof The support portion may also bear door sill and window sill indicia, while at least one margin of each of the three arms and base bear linear indicia in fractions of an inch. The third arm has a bubble level in a cage so as to be releasable from all major angles. The base is adapted to measure roof rafter angles and also serves as a U-square
An adjustable squaring tool for measuring and marking angles includes a pivot arm pivotally coupled between first and second sections of a main member. The pivot arm having a graduated arcuate measurement arm extending from the pivot arm through a channel in the main member. The pivot arm having a cylinder coupled to an end of the pivot arm. The main member includes a drum passing through the cylinder. The cylinder has a plurality of radially spaced apertures corresponding to the gradations of the measurement arm. The drum includes at least one spring biased bearing positioned for engaging apertures in the cylinder as the cylinder rotates around the drum. A locking assembly is provided for clamping the pivot arm between the first and second sections of the main member to lock the pivot arm relative to the main member. In an embodiment the apertures are spaced for adjusting the tool in one degree increments between 10 degrees and 90 degrees.
A framing layout tool includes two squares each with two legs or blades 90 degree apart. The squares are pivotally attached at their vertices by a pivot pin including a knurled locking nut. One of the squares includes a longitudinally aligned electronic plumb and level indicator on one of the legs. The other leg of that square includes indicia on a leg reference edge for indicating rise-over-run integers representative of the angular separation of that other leg and a leg of the other square. Indicia indicating the actual angle between such legs is also contained on an opposite reference edge of that other leg. The layout tool has particular utility for accurately marking the location of a plumb cut, seat cuts and.a ridge cut in roof rafters where the blade of the second square is placed on an inclined rafter and oriented with the electronic level in a vertical plumb position. When a visual and auditory indication of exact plumb is obtained the clamping nut is locked. Using the locked device, the angle of inclination can be read and locked unit used to scribe cutting lines on a rafter to have the same inclination as the first measured rafter.
A combination speed and framing square includes first and second legs joined to form a right angle. The first and second legs are substantially longer than those found on a typical framing square allowing higher pitch roof rafters to be sequentially marked in increments of two feet. A third leg is attached to the first and second legs forming the hypotenuse of a right triangle with the first and second legs. The third leg has an elongated marking aperture with hip and valley and common rafter marking indicia on opposing sides thereof as well as incremental angular indicia adjacent its outer edge as with a typical speed square. Level indicators such as bubble levels are disposed on the first and second legs. At each end of the first leg and at a distal end of the second leg is an integral elongated slot each dimensioned to removably receive a rolling measuring device with a digital distance indication means on the exterior thereof Accordingly, a distance may be quickly and easily measured by rolling the device along a surface and visually reading the display device.
While these squaring devices may be suitable for the purposes for which they were designed, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention, as hereinafter described.
The present invention discloses a rafter square having a pivotal indicator arm and pivotal indicator guide. The pivotal arm and guide are detachable from the rafter square portion by unscrewing the thumbscrew that secures the device.to its pivotal port located on the heel portion of the right angle square. A wing nut is also removable and when in use allows the indicator arm to slide along a track and point to indication markings along the tracks surface. Located at the distal end of the indicator guide is a storage port. The storage port can hold the removed wing nut and thumbscrew when the arm is removed. Within the storage port a guide chart can also be stored and used for reference.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a pivoting rafter square for laying out rafters and calculating the length and angles of the required cuts.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a pivoting rafter square having a detachable guide similar to a tee-square that is pivotally connected to the heel portion of the right angle square and may be locked into the desired position by the user by means of a locking mechanism such as a thumbscrew.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a pivoting rafter square having indicia located thereon denoting the angles and degrees for quickly and accurately determining the angle of each situational cut for common rafters and hip rafters as well as irregular hips and valleys.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a pivoting rafter square that will eliminate the need of having to repeatedly align increments on each side of the square for one workpiece for plumb cuts, seat cuts and overhangs.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a pivoting rafter square having a guide member to press to the workpiece rather than against rough edges, knots and other irregularities in the plane of the workpiece which often tend to compromise the accuracy of conventional squares.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a pivoting rafter square that can be used separately as a tee square or rafter square.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a pivoting rafter square that can be used as a protractor.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a pivoting rafter square that can be used as a bevel square for repetitive marking.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a pivoting rafter square that can lay out 16 and 24 inch center spacing.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a pivoting rafter square that is inexpensive to manufacture and operate.
One more object of the present invention is to provide a pivoting rafter square that is simple and easy to use.
Additional objects of the present invention will appear as the description proceeds.